


The Demon of My Dreams

by sthgiN



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-12 18:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5676349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sthgiN/pseuds/sthgiN
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been eight years since the Pine twins first came to Gravity Falls.  They currently run and live in the Mystery Shack.  Strange stuff is always happening around them but, to everyone's surprise, they haven't even scratched the surface of the strange train.</p><p>This is an alternate universe in which Bill Cipher has never confronted the twins.  They don't even know who 'he' is.  The author of the books was never located and there is no secret underground lab in the shack.  This story is going to rip apart a lot of things from canon but that's why it's tagged as an AU.  </p><p>Also, fair warning, Bill Cipher is going to be completely out of character.  You'll see what I mean when he's first introduced.  </p><p>Going into this fic, you should only bring the fact that the twins went to Gravity Falls for Summer vacation.  They ran into a lot of weird stuff and found the journal.  That's literally all you need to know from the show.  Pretty much everything else has been thrown out or changed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 01 Waking Up

The alarm clock began buzzing in Dipper's ear. He quickly reacted by smacking the top of it to shut it off. Eight O'clock, right on the dot. Hard to imagine it's been eight years since that first Summer he and his sister came to Gravity Falls. Even harder to believe the two of them now ran the Mystery Shack. Stan took off on retirement about two years back and left the place to them. Dipper was overjoyed, now being able to live in Gravity Falls. The Mystery Shack was the perfect place to conduct his studies and research. Mabel, she was amused at the idea of giving the place some 'creativity' as she called it. The two both ran and lived in the Shack. Dipper decided to keep the attic as it was out of the way and he wouldn't be bothered as much. Mabel took Stan's room after a bit of redecorating.

Dipper forced himself up, stretching a bit to work off the sleep. That was the first decent nights sleep he's managed to get in quite a while. More often than not he spends his personal hours studying up on the supernatural and the occult. He typically wakes up at his desk where he'd fallen asleep in the night. Today was special though. Today was the two year anniversary since the two had taken ownership of the Shack. They were going to celebrate today and a lot still needed to be done in preparation, opting to stay closed to take care of everything.

He was just coaxing himself into getting out of bed when he heard a knock at the door. Knock knock knock. "I'm awake," he replied.

"Hurry up and get ready," came the oh-so-familiar voice of his sister. "I'm making breakfast. We've got so much stuff to do!"

"Alright, alright," Dipper laughed. As he heard footsteps skipping down the hall he decided to get up and get dressed. He threw on some jeans and an undershirt, then a blue flannel over shirt. After putting on his shoes he grabbed his cap from its resting place on the bed post and walked downstairs. He found an overly excited Mabel cooking pancakes or they were supposed to be. He couldn't tell from all the edible glitter and sprinkles she was drowning the batter in. "Is that even healthy," he asked.

"Well of course it is, silly. It's … well it's edible anyway," she scoffed, dumping more of the sugary mix into a pan. "So, did you sleep well," a bit of incrimination in her voice.

Dipper held up his hands in defense, "I only stayed up till Midnight this time, I promise."

"Mmhmm," she even managed to make the sound overly incriminating. "Well, we've got to head into town to pick up supplies for the party. I'm gonna meet up with Candy and Grenda to go over some stuff."

"You mean talk about girl stuff," Dipper laughed as he poured a cup of coffee.

"Hey, I can multitask, mister," she waved a spatula at his face as a dob of batter fell to the floor.

"Sure, sure," he agreed taking a seat at the table.

"Anyway," Mabel continued as she flipped a pancake, "I need you to go pick up some stuff, unless you'd like to join me?"

"I'll take pack mule as a final answer," he smirked, sipping his drink.

"I figured as much," Mabel laughed. "Oh, Pacs wants you to swing by. She said she needs your help with something."

"Really? Pacifica Northwest needing my help," Dipper furrowed a brow. Mabel just shrugged and hummed a bit while she finished up the last of the sugary deathcakes. "She say what she needed?"

"No," Mabel placed two plates on the table and sat down. "She's been acting a bit strange lately. Usually we hang out and stuff. She's been kinda distant and we haven't talked much."

"I'm sure you're putting too much thought into it," Dipper reassured her, carefully taking a bite of his pancake to be sure it wasn't lethal. "She's probably just really busy, ya know. After Preston went to prison for that racketeering business, she's had a lot to deal with. Running a whole business at her age is kind of hard."

"We run a business you know," Mabel emptied half a bottle of syrup on her plate.

"A legitimate business," Dipper chuckled. The Mystery Shack was legitimate on paper but he was sure something somewhere wasn't up to code.

"Yeah, I guess," Mabel took a giant bite. "Ish jush doshn't make senshe," she swallowed, "she always makes time for me and lately … I don't know." She frowned.

Dipper didn't like it when Mabel was sad. It was just so strange to see someone who is always so cheery and optimistic to be gloomy and down. "I'll talk to her," he finished his breakfast and placed his dishes in the sink. "I'll see if I can't figure out whats going on while I'm helping her … do whatever it is she needs help with."

"Okay, but if you come back with a dirty shovel I don't wanna know where the body is," she laughed.

Dipper laughed then paused before asking, "Wait, you don't actually think-"

"No! Dipper, I was joking," Mabel pointed her fork at him. "Pacs would totally ask me to help her hide a body before she asked you."

Dipper chuckled, "You're probably right. I think I'm gonna head into town and get an early start. If I know you the list is probably a couple pages long."

Mabel gave a toothy smile, "Only a couple? You think you're getting off that easy?"

Dipper paled, "Wait, how long of list do you have exactly?" He shuddered when Mabel pulled out a mini notebook he was sure was filled to the brim with just about anything she could think of. "Mabel, please tell me that's not full," he pointed at the book in her hands.

"Of course it isn't," she laughed. Dipper managed a sigh of relief right before Mabel continued, "It still has a few blank pages."

Oh, it was going to be a very long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the first chapter in what I'm planning on making a very long story. I've already made plans for around four story arcs. The first one being 'Waking Up'. I'm not very good with chapter titles so I figured this would work better.
> 
> Anyway, it's going to be a slow go for the first few chapters. I tend to flesh things out a bit as I write, sometimes a little too much. It'll be a few more chapters before Cipherfall but I'll make it worth the wait.
> 
> Look forward to weekly updates. Maybe more depending on how quickly I can write and edit them. I always edit my own work but, as time and time again has been proven, I often miss a few things. If you do happen to catch any errors, please let me know. I'd also like to hear your thoughts about the story itself. When I write, it's typically done for myself but when I publish I'm also writing for those reading my work. I value reader opinions even if I may sometimes disagree with them.
> 
> Let me know what you think and be sure to look for the next one. Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> -sthgiN


	2. 02 Waking Up

It didn't take long for Dipper to finish getting ready and start his car. He glanced at the backpack he had set in the passenger seat. His sister had been nagging at him to "update his style" for quite some time now. He decided to start by switching out his old raggedy backpack for a new 'courier' style bag. He had to admit that it was surprisingly comfortable and his things didn't jumble around as much as they used to. He went with a white and blue color scheme to match his hat. It's amazing how fast the internet has grown since he was a kid. Now if you want something, all you have to do is divulge every last personal detail of yourself to a corporation like iBay and you can buy whatever you want from the comfort of your own home. He might be making an effort to update his style but his paranoia and conspiracy theories were there to stay.

After assuring that all the mirrors were in their correct places, his seat belt was on, and he was seated comfortably, he threw the transmission into drive. It wasn't a very long drive to reach town but he knew he'd probably have to make a longer trip to pick up everything Mabel wanted for the party. Gravity Falls was a great place to live but the choices for shops were very little. He'd probably have to make a trip to Salem to get everything he needed. Even with the history, Dipper enjoyed visiting Salem for the various sites and unique points of history the capital had. Though he'd already debunked most of the hoodoo junk that the locals use to attract tourists. "Can't really blame them," he thought, "we kind of do the same think at the Mystery Shack."

A few moments passed by and dipper decided listening to the radio might be fun. It took a few searches to find something interesting but he paused right after a voice came on he knew. It was a woman's voice, singing a pretty catchy song. It looked like Candy was doing pretty well for herself. A few years back she had struck a big record deal as a pop-star. Strange how awkward she used to be and now she was up on stage singing and dancing in front of millions. A few speech classes, a few semesters of 'Charm 101', and she reaches a new high on record sales. Even with all her fame and fortune, she still takes time off to visit her friends in Gravity Falls. Dipper couldn't complain, after her first visit the Shack saw a tremendous increase in revenue. Everyone wanted to visit the pop-star's hometown.

Then his mind strayed to Grenda. She worked as Candy's personal bodyguard. Needless to say, nobody causes any trouble at the concerts. Grenda actually got married not too long ago. A guy named Greg or something. They met on the road and the two hit it off. The two have a home in LA but are usually traveling on tours. Grenda said that Greg does the stage effects. Grenda and Greg had a pretty good ring to it. Dipper was happy for her and Candy.

Thinking back on his old friends, Wendy popped into his head. Last he heard she was somewhere in Bangladesh doing something she couldn't tell him about. He was almost one-hundred percent certain that she was covert ops working a sting on some major crime organization. That or a professional assassin. She had the skill-set for either occupation. Dipper was pretty disappointed when she said she wouldn't be able to make it to the party. He'd gotten over his feelings for her a long time ago but the two became really good friends after. She even taught him self-defense. It came in handy when he'd make his excursions into the forest, especially at night.

Robbie and Tambry got hitched and decided to move to Florida. Dipper was pretty sure that they even had a kid. Nate, Thompson, and Lee left to "find themselves" on the road. They send postcards every now and then. The most recent was from some obscure town in Mexico. They seemed to be finding more ways to have fun then they were finding themselves. Maybe 'themselves' was just fun all along. Dipper wasn't really sure about the others. He didn't really do the whole "keeping in touch" thing. The only thing he really does anymore is study and write. He doesn't count the Mystery Shack as a thing as it's become the norm.

Finally he reached the city limits and he began thinking about what he should do first. He could either go and get supplies or see what Pacifica needed. He was dreading the thought of either one. He didn't hate Pacifica but the two weren't best friends either. They don't even share numbers which is why she had to go through Mabel to reach him. Mabel and Pacifica had gotten close over the years, especially when that whole business happened with her father. Dipper felt bad for her but she was honestly doing much better without him. Her mother disappeared, most likely to avoid arrest herself, and she was left with all of Northwests assets. She took over and ran things much better than her parents ever thought about. She wasn't greedy or high-class like her parents. When she threw parties, everyone was invited. She did her business fairly, without cheating or lying. She helped the town. Dipper liked her for that.

He decided to go to the Northwest manor first. This way he could focus on just supplies the rest of the day. After a few more minutes of driving he arrived, pulling through the front gates. He parked his car in front of the house and gave a suspicious look to the butler who offered to park it in the garage. He grabbed his bag out and very carefully gave the man his keys. "Be careful, I still haven't paid this off yet," Dipper stated. The man simply nodded and took off to park the car.

Another butler opened the doors for him and offered to take his bag and hat. Dipper just stared blankly at the man for a few moments before he muttered, "I'm fine, thanks." He informed the man that he was hear at Pacifica's request at which the man grimaced. Dipper furrowed his brow, "Something wrong?"

The man sighed, "Miss Northwest has been acting … a bit strange as of late." Dipper remembered Mabel saying the same exact thing earlier. "She's confined herself to her quarters and won't come out for anything."

Dipper held his chin with one hand and rested his elbow in the other while thinking. After a moment he said, "I guess take me to her room. She asked me here for something, I don't imagine she's changed her mind." The man nodded and turned, motioning for Dipper to follow. He remembered how big this place was from all his previous visits but he couldn't get over it. Who needs that many bathrooms?

A few minutes of walking and the pair arrived at a, compared to the rest of the house, very common looking doorway. The man knocked on the door a few times and waited for a response. Nothing. He cleared his throat and talked loudly enough for someone to hear him on the other side, "Miss Northwest, Sir Pines is hear to see you."

Dipper heard rustling and things being knocked over from the other side. Hurried footsteps made their way to the door before pausing. Pacifica was probably making sure she looked okay before being seen by others. It wasn't high-class or snobby, it was just a girl thing. The doorknob twisted and the door itself was pulled open very slowly. Pacifica peeked through the doorway of a very dimly lit room, "That will be all, Winston. Thank you." The man bowed and left in haste. The door opened more now and Pacifica chirped, "Quickly, inside."

Dipper yelped as he was pulled into the room and almost stumbled from lack of vision. "Pacifica, what's this all about?" He heard a click and the lights came on, blinding him temporarily. When he opened his eyes he was met by a typical room. Nothing fancy about it. There was a bed, a closet, a desk with a laptop, some posters, and other normal things. Pacifica didn't like fancy so she probably took over one of the live-in help's living quarters. Another thing he noticed was the mess. It looked like a room he'd live in with papers and books strewn all about. Upon further inspection he noticed that this is exactly a room that he would live in. The papers and books were covered in information about the occult, dark arts, runes, ancient text.

Pacifica moved past him to sit on her bed. Then he got a better look at her. If that pause at the doorway was to make herself look better, well, it looked like she needed a bigger pause. Her hair was a mess and she was wearing her pajamas. If she was wearing makeup, she deserved a refund. The bags under her eyes were huge. Her eyes looked tired, as if she hadn't slept in days. The next thing he noticed were the tears forming in those tired eyes. Finally, she decided to speak up, "Dipper, I think I messed up bad."

Dipper gulped and cleared his throat, "Wh-what happened? Start from the beginning." He opted to pull out the computer chair and sit across from Pacifica.

She sobbed a few times before shaking it off. "I, uh, well I … It started about a month ago. I wanted to … well I was looking into a way to see if," she kept glancing around the room uncomfortably.

Dipper sighed, "I already know that you've been studying the occult." Pacifica gasped in shock. Dipper motioned around the room, "You didn't do a very good job of hiding it. So," he wiped his brow in frustration, "I'll take most of the work off your shoulders. You did some research, I'm guessing witchcraft by the looks of things. You tried a spell, something went wrong and it backfired." Pacifica lowered her head for a moment before nodding. "Look," Dipper spoke with a knowing voice, "don't beat yourself up over it. It's happened to me in the past. I know how to counteract the magic but I need to know what spell you were trying to cast, okay?"

Pacifica's cheeks turned pink, "D-do you really have to know exactly what spell."

"Yes," Dipper replied with a serious tone.

Pacifica took a deep breath, "W-well, it was a … a knowledge spell."

Dipper furrowed a brow, "A knowledge spell? You're gonna have to be more specific than that."

"It was a spell that was supposed to tell me if …"

"If?"

"It was supposed to tell me if someone had the same feelings for me as I do for them," Pacifica covered her mouth after blurting that out.

"I see, well," Dipper looked around, "do you still have the exact spell?"

Pacifica nodded and stood up to retrieve a book from one of the piles. She flipped to a bookmarked page and handed the book to Dipper, pointing at the right page. Dipper looked it over before glancing up at Pacifica, "So, you tried to use an emotion reader. You know you could have just said that you wanted to know what someone was thinking." He felt badly for her, seeing her face turn twenty shades of red. He laughed, "I won't ask any details about who the spell was intended for, okay. You're probably experiencing extreme mood changes throughout the day, right?"

"NO," she yelled at him before gasping.

"Uh-huh, well, lucky for you I'm also pretty curious about how people are feeling. I've had a reader spell like this one backfire before. I can undo the magic for you," he said, closing the book.

"You can? Thank you," Pacifica grabbed Dipper by the face and kissed him. She opened her eyes to see a panicked Dipper before jumping back. "S-sorry, I-"

Dipper cut her off, clearing his throat, "It's cool. You do things when your emotions are out of whack. Let's just pretend that didn't happen. Now, I'm going to need some candles, a marker, a lighter, and," he paused, "a lock of your hair." If Pacifica had one prized possession, it was her hair. He knew that is was going to be pretty hard to convince her to … His train of thought was halted by Pacifica casually pulling out a pair of scissors and removing a lock of her hair like it wasn't nothing. She gave him the hair and returned the scissors to the drawer she got them from. "Uhm," Dipper mumbled looking at the blonde strands in his hand.

She retrieved the other items from a box in the closet. She turned to see the confusion on his face, "Don't get me wrong. I love my hair but, honestly, I was expecting you to say you needed a finger or blood or something. A bit of hair is nothing if it means getting rid of this stupid curse or hex or whatever." Dipper nodded in agreement. He knew how badly spells could backfire. One of the reasons he was never able to grow his hair too long. Pacifica pulled out a wooden slate from under her bed and set the items down on it. "Now what?"

Dipper got down and began sorting through everything, "Now all I have to do is, oh, you already have a pentagram. I guess that makes sense since you had to cast a spell in the first place. I'll need to add a few runes and set up the candles." It didn't take long before everything was set. The candles were at all five points. Common cancelling runes were placed throughout the pentagram. Dipper set the hair at the center and pulled out a lighter. "Okay, what this is going to do is it will cancel magical energy that's nearby. If you have any magical items you'd like to save, you might want to take them outside." Pacifica shook her head. "Alright." Dipper lit the candles and began chanting a counter spell. "… finem incantatores." Dipper blew out the candles.

Pacifica looked around, waiting for something to happen but nothing did. "I-is that it," she asked suspiciously.

Dipper laughed, "What were you expecting? A bright light? A blast of energy? A strange voice?"

Pacifica pouted, "I was expecting a little more flare. Weren't we supposed to do this in the dark?" She pointed to the lights which were still on.

"It doesn't matter. Conjuring magic or anti-magic can be done anywhere. Doing it in the dark makes it difficult to see and is really only a mood setting for the movies. Ask any real witch and they'll tell you that their lights stay on." Dipper got up and stretched. He always noticed how magic can exhaust you and wondered how people do this stuff daily.

"How do you know it worked," Pacifica inquired, unsure whether or not she was actually 'cured'. Dipper pointed to the center of the pentagram where she noticed her hair was gone. "You said this spell would cancel all magic in the area, so why did you need my hair in the first place?"

"This spell does cancel all magic in the area and I could have done it without your hair. The problem wasn't getting rid of magic though, it was cancelling out the negative magic festering inside of you. Casting the spell without your hair would have given you a two hour reprieve, at most, before the mood swings came back."

Pacifica collapsed backwards on the floor, "Dipper Pines, you are a life saver."

Dipper grinned, "I'm not gonna sit back and watch someone suffer if I can stop it. I also like showing off."

Pacifica laughed at that, "Dipper Pines the showoff? Doesn't sound right to me. Anyway, it's nice to know that you can help if anything like this happens again." She waited for a laugh, a chuckle, even a snort from Dipper.

Dipper's tone of voice was serious though, "It won't happen again."

She sat back up and saw that Dipper wasn't playing around, "W-what?"

"This won't happen again, Pacifica. You're going to get rid of all this junk. You're not going to try magic anymore. You got lucky with mood swings. Wait till you start puking blood, till you become so paranoid you almost hurt someone, till horrors so terrible fill your vision and you start to go insane."

"Dipper," Pacifica spoke softly, guessing Dipper was speaking from experience.

"You don't need to be messing with this stuff Pacifica. If something were to happen to you and I wasn't around to fix it … think about how Mabel would feel."

Pacifica's face turned red, "Mabel?"

"She's been worried sick about you. This morning it looked like she was on the verge of tears. You should call her, let her know you're doing okay. Don't tell her anything about this though."

"W-what? Why?"

"Mabel gets real panicky when it comes to magic after … Look, just don't tell her about it. It'd be best if she didn't know. Just tell her that you've been busy lately, dealing with something important. You just needed my help to write some stuff down."

Pacifica frowned, "I don't like lying to Mabel."

Dipper grinned, "It's not lying. You were busy dealing with your extreme mood swings. I wrote the runes on the pentagram. It's not lying, more like not the whole truth."

Pacifica giggled, "Sounds like you've gotten use to not giving the whole truth."

"Mabel doesn't like it when I do magic. I have to for my research. I'm careful but it still worries her. Occasionally she'll ask where the spices she just bought went or why it smells like fudge, don't ask. Oh yeah. If you really want to mess with her, mention needing a new shovel."

"A new shovel?"

"Trust me, I'll probably get punched for it later."

"Okay," Pacifica stood up and quickly hugged Dipper. "Thanks again," she backed away, "for helping."

"No problem," Dipper turned to leave. "Get some rest, you look tired. Wouldn't want you falling asleep at the party tonight."

"Oh, crap! I forgot about it," Pacifica started to panic.

"Don't worry, if you're a little late, Mabel will understand. You seriously need to sleep though. Aside from the actual lack of sleep, negative magic isn't good on the body. I'm actually surprised to see you haven't collapsed from exhaustion," Dipper finished right before he heard a thud. He turned back to see Pacifica passed out on her bed. He sighed, "Never mind." He picked her up and placed her properly in her bed, covering her up. He even went so far as to set the alarm next to her for an hour before the party. "Honestly, she shouldn't even go. She needs to rest. Mabel would understand. Pacifica wouldn't be okay with it though," he thought, as he headed for the doorway. He turned off the light and closed the door behind him. Trying to find the exit or someone who could help him he thought, "That wasn't that bad. I'm glad I came here first." The thought of shopping made him feel exhausted. "Guess I'll get this over with," he mumbled.

 

* * *

 

Dipper only spent an hour in town after leaving Northwest manor before he came to the conclusion it was time to go to Salem. He ran around the whole town from store to store, checking items off the list. The list was down to nothing and he decided he could get the rest at the Salem Center mall. He finished getting everything off the list and was heading back to the car park. He looked to his left and saw a street vendor and suddenly got a craving for hot dogs. It was a strange craving though, like something was willing him to stop for a bite to eat. Deciding against it, he started across the road to the spot where he'd parked earlier. _Stop_. _Run_. _Look_. _Please_. Words started popping into his head. He didn't have time to react but he did manage to hear the breaks locking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty long chapter this time. I was going to keep it short but I just kept typing and noticed I had broke three-thousand words. This one is partly backstory for this au, talking about where a lot of the others characters are now. The main concern for this chapter was Pacifica as it will be important later.
> 
> Once again, feedback is appreciated and if you catch a mistake be sure to let me know.
> 
> Also, don't hate me for the cliffhanger. There was a cliff that needed hanging and someone had to do it. 
> 
> Cipherfall, next chapter~


	3. 03 Waking Up

_Beep_. _Beep_. _Beeeep_. Pacifica lazily reached over and turned off the alarm clock that was sadly not shattered in a million pieces. She yawned and decided to lay in bed for another minute. She looked at the clock clearly this time and noticed that it was a bit late. "Oh crap," she bolted up. "I'm going to be late for the party!" She jumped out of bed, running to flip the light switch. After a minor trip along the way, she managed to turn on the lights. "And after Dipper went through the trouble of ridding me from that curse or hex … whatever it was."  
  
She quickly began changing, looking into her closet for an appropriate attire. It couldn't look too fashionable but she wanted to still look good for … She just wanted to look good. Adrenaline pumping from the sudden rush, she was torn between trying on a few outfits or just picking one. She didn't want to be late so that meant she didn't really have the time. She picked up her phone and dialed in a number. _Ring_. _Ring_. _Ring_. "Oh, come on. Pick up," she thought.

 

* * *

  
  
Mabel was in panic mode. It was just an hour before the party and there was no Dipper. There was no supplies. No one had arrived just yet but they would be soon. Mabel wasn't sure even she was fast enough to throw a party together in an hour. "Where could he be," she wondered, pacing back and forth through the living room. "It's not like him to be this late." She stood in front of a mirror and readjusted her hair for the tenth time.  
  
A news broadcast was playing in the background. It appeared to be a street view of Salem, that looked like it was near the mall too. Mabel shook her head, she needed a game plan not gossip. She decided to just try and work with what she had, though it wasn't much. She had some streamers, party hats, confetti, and a half-eaten sandwich. This was not good.  
  
She smacked her head softly and reached into her pocket, retrieving her phone. She giggled, "Silly Mabel, just call Dipper and ask him where he is." Before she could dial a number, her phone began ringing. _Ring_. _Ring_. _Ring_.

 

* * *

  
  
"Oh, hello," Pacifica asked. "Hey, yeah, it's me. I was worried you weren't gonna pick up for a second. I'm getting dressed right now, could you bring my car around front for me? Thank you. Just leave them in the seat," Pacifica ended the call. Now she just had to pick an outfit. Why were decisions involving fashion so hard?  
  
It only took a few more minutes before she decided she was going to wear a white and purple striped T-shirt, a black and purple plaid skirt, and a pair of white tennis shoes. She had pondered on the thought of taking a shower but she had taken one earlier that morning. So, for this time only, she decided against it. After fixing her hair up, easily hiding the small portion she had cut off earlier, she grabbed her bag and ran out the door.  
  
"It's already so late," she thought, running down the hall, "and I'm sure Mabel already has everything set up. I hope she doesn't think I'm planning on not coming." She finally made it to the main foyer. Nobody ever really gets to see her run but she could easily take first place in any marathon. Years of being late and having to run that far to leave your own home will do that. She made it outside and hopped in her car, grabbing the keys from the seat. "I can still make it," she thought. She turned the ignition, starting the car.  
  
It took a few minutes of driving to get to town and then another few minutes to make it to the shack. There was still about a half hour until the party. She decided she had enough time to stop and grab a gift before heading to the Mystery Shack. On the way, Pacifica managed to catch one of Candy's songs on the radio. "I love this one," Pacifica hummed, bobbing her head to the rhythm. "I think I remember Mabel saying Candy is going to be at the party too. Maybe I could get her to sign my copy of her second album."  
  
She arrived in town and parked in front of the local florist. She hopped out and started browsing the selections. There were a lot of different flowers to choose from. She really wasn't sure what was what and became frustrated by the time constraint she had. She had almost given up hope before she noticed a rack of ready bouquets. She quickly grabbed a bouquet of violets and a bouquet of millennials. "Blue for Dipper and pink for Mabel," she thought. She paid for them at the register and returned to her car, taking off once more.  
  
She arrived at the Shack, about fifteen minutes early. She was happy to not be late but at the same time confused. Looking around she noticed there were no decorations. Typically everyone else shows up a little late but every time Pacifica arrived there was a mini-party being thrown. Mabel and Dipper would usually be having a blast, getting ready for the others. Sometimes Dipper would be manning the grill and Mabel would be putting the finishing touches on the decorations. There was no Mabel, no Dipper, no party.  
  
After parking she noticed Mabel's car was here but Dipper's was gone. She made her way to the front door and knocked a few times. _Knock_. _Knock_. _Knock_. No answer. Instead of trying again she just let herself in. Mabel can sometimes get lost in her own world and in the past she's waited outside for hours before being let inside. She eventually learned to just walk in and find Mabel on her own. Sometimes she would ask Dipper. "Mabel," she called out, closing the door behind her. She heard the faintest sob coming from the living room. "Mabel," she asked again in concern, rushing in to find Mabel, collapsed on the floor holding her phone, weeping into her free hand. "Mabel," she exclaimed collapsing in front of her and gently grabbing Mabel's shoulders, "what's wrong?"  
  
Mabel looked up, eyes red from crying. It looked as if she'd been crying for some time. A voice could be heard from Mabel's phone, "Hello? Miss Pines? Hello?"  
  
Pacifica felt a little sick to her stomach, not knowing what was going on. Anything that could make Mabel cry was either really bad or a new boy band. She was guessing this wasn't a boy band kind of crying. "Mabel," she asked again, looking into her eyes.  
  
Mabel sniffed a few times before fighting back the tears enough to talk, "P-p-pacifica, i-it's D-dipper, he … he … he's been hit." Mabel dove into Pacifica's chest, no longer able to hold back her tears.  
  
Pacifica, confused and panicked, took the phone from Mabel, "H-hello?"  
  
The voice on the other end spoke, "Hello? Miss Pines? Are you alright?"  
  
"S-sorry, this is her friend. I-I'm not really sure what's going on here. She's crying and she said something about her brother being hit," Pacifica responded, the room started spinning.  
  
"That is correct. I'm calling from Salem Hospital. Mister Pines was hit by a vehicle earlier today. He is currently in critical condition and we need Miss Pines to come in, as soon as possible. She was listed as his emergency contact," the voice cut off.  
  
Pacifica wasn't sure what to say. This didn't feel real. She was going to wake up, any second now. She was going to wake up and this was all going to be a nightmare. She'd get dressed, pick up the flowers, and make it here in time to see Dipper and Mabel running around the yard playing an impromptu game of tag. She shook her head softly. No, this wasn't a dream or she'd have been shocked awake by the pain in her chest. "O-o-okay, yes, I understand. We're on our way, right now. Thank you," Pacifica hung up the phone. She grabbed Mabel by the shoulders again and gently forced her to sit up. "Mabel, we need to go, okay? I-I know you're hurting right now but w-we need to g-go to the hospital. For Dipper," she finished, almost in tears herself.  
  
All Mabel could manage was a nod in reply. The two stood up, walked outside, and Pacifica took Mabel's keys to lock the door behind them. She took out a pen and paper, quickly jotting down a note for the others that read, "Party cancelled. Emergency. Dipper hospital." She stuck the note just under the door enough to be seen and not fly away. She and Mabel proceeded to get in Pacifica's car and make their way to Salem Hospital. It was a long drive and Pacifica was more tired now than she was this morning. They drove in silence, neither bothering to turn on a radio or talk as both were too busy fighting back the tears.

 

* * *

 

They both arrived at the hospital. On the drive, Mabel received several messages from her friends in concern. She explained to them what happened and the last message she got was, "On our way." She almost smiled thinking of how amazing her friends were. If it weren't for the fact she was staring at her brother, hooked up to countless machines and tubing, she would have. The nurse at the front desk was nice enough to show them the way to the room. Apparently Dipper was still in really bad condition but the doctors had already done all they could.  
  
The doctor who had spoken to her and Pacifica, who she wouldn't let stay behind in the lobby, had told them all the surgeries and procedures that had been done. He finished off with life-support and Mabel almost collapsed again. "The rest is up to him," was all he said before he apologized for this happening and left.  
  
Mabel wasn't sure what he meant by 'him'. He probably meant Dipper and Dipper was stubborn. Or was he talking about God? Could he even do that? Were doctors allowed to believe in god? Weren't all doctors agnostic or something? Though, if there was a god, now would be the time where a miracle happens. She waited, staring at Dipper's stilled body. No, probably not.  
  
An officer stopped by and asked to speak with Mabel privately. Mabel grabbed Pacifica's hand and wouldn't let her leave. When it was clear neither of the two were stepping out, the officer decided to just talk. "Miss Pines, I'm sorry," he was cutoff by Mabel gesturing for him to stop.  
  
She spoke with almost no emotion, she didn't really have much left, "I've heard too many apologies today."  
  
The officer nodded, "Right. Well, this is about the man who hit your brother." Mabel's hand twitched, not much but enough for Pacifica to notice. "He's been detained. He admitted to texting while driving. He didn't see the stoplight in time. He's going to be charged with vehicular manslaughter. We just thought you'd," he was cutoff again, this time from Mabel speaking.  
  
Her voice was angry, loud but quiet at the same time, "Why?"  
  
"W-what," the officer asked confused.  
  
"Why does everyone keep talking like that?" Pacifica looked at Mabel who was shaking and her face covered in tears again.  
  
"T-talking like what, Miss Pines?"  
  
This time Mabel was angry and just loud, "Like he's already dead! You didn't say 'attempted'. You should be charging him with 'attempted' vehicular manslaughter."  
  
Pacifica spoke softly, "Mabel."  
  
Mabel was absolutely furious at this point, "My brother's not gonna die!"  
  
Pacifica wasn't sure what to do but Mabel was causing a panic among the hospital staff and probably a few patients as well. The officer just backed away, also appearing to not know how to handle the situation. She looked around for a moment before deciding to just do what came natural. She pulled Mabel as close as possible, wrapping her arms around her. Thankfully, Mabel didn't fight it. She just broke down and collapsed into Pacifica's embrace. Pacifica wasn't sure if she should be happy that Mabel calmed down or sad that she gave up. "She didn't give up," Pacifica thought, "As if she ever would."

 

* * *

  
  
A few hours had passed. Visiting hours were ending and everyone who showed up gave their farewells. Mabel didn't talk much while they were there and they couldn't blame her. They talked to Pacifica, asking if Mabel was going to be okay. She told them that she wasn't sure but she was going to stay with her. Sure enough, the group left and as the nurse walked around to ensure all the visitors were either gone or getting ready, she looked at Mabel and Pacifica, then at Dipper and back at them, then left without a word. She had probably been informed that Pacifica was their for their protection.  
  
After another few minutes, Pacifica heard soft breathing. She looked to her left to see Mabel who had fallen asleep in her chair. She couldn't help but notice how peaceful she looked and how badly she was going to feel when she woke up. Dipper had asked Pacifica earlier that day about what she'd do if something happened to her and Mabel got hurt. "Stupid Dipper," she thought, managing to choke up without speaking. "Now you're the one who's making Mabel cry and there's nothing I can do about it." Nothing she could do about it. She wasn't like Dipper. He could probably conjure up some sort of spell or something to fix this. Her? No, she couldn't do anything. Except.  
  
She looked over to Mabel again, making sure she was asleep. Then, carefully, she stood up and snuck out of the room. She wandered around for a bit before asking a nurse where she could find a restroom. The nurse kindly pointed her down the hall. After she found the bathroom and went inside, she locked the door behind her. She looked at the mirror that hung over the sink. Very slowly, she walked towards it with intent for what she was about to try. She reached into her purse and pulled out her lipstick.  
  
Uncapping the tube, she carefully drew a pentagram inside a circle on the mirror. Point of entry, check. She started focusing on the pentagram as hard as she could. Intent, check. "I hope this works without candles," she thought. She gathered up her strength and took a deep breath, "Here me, demons of the realms. Here my plea and make haste to this world so that I, Pacifica Northwest, may enact a pact with you. I allow you entry to this world." A few moments passed by and she was starting to worry her summoning spell didn't work. She sighed and turned away from the mirror to leave. Realizing she shouldn't just leave a pentagram on a mirror in a hospital she turned back around.  
  
Strange. The pentagram had changed shape. Now it looked like a two dimensional pyramid with an eye at the center of it. It must have worked but she didn't see anyone. She remembered that Dipper said sometimes there was no 'flare' when it came to magic. She gulped down her rising fear and spoke, "Hello?" She could have sworn she heard glass breaking. She blinked as her vision was clearing up. When had it become blurry? She quickly noticed that everything seemed to be gray scale, there was no color in the room. Except for herself and the other girl who was now in the bathroom as well.  
  
The girl was half-turned away from her, crying. She had short blonde hair and appeared to be the same height as Pacifica, though she was crouching so it was hard to tell. She wore a white dress shirt, a yellow skirt with brick design, black leggings, white tennis-shoes, it looked like she had on a bow tie, and a top hat. Pacifica marveled at how well she pulled it off. A risky look but for some reason it just seemed to fit. She coughed, "H-hello? A-are you alright?"  
  
The girl jumped in surprise turning to look at Pacifica. Pacifica gasped when she noticed the other girls irises were yellow. The girl jumped up and turned away from Pacifica, rubbing at her face. Pacifica waited patiently for the girl to finish composing herself. After the girl was done she turned around with a halfhearted smile and asked, "H-how may I help you today?"  
  
Pacifica cocked her head in confusion. She furrowed a brow and asked, "What do you mean 'help' me?"  
  
The girl giggled, "You summoned me here so you obviously need help with something, right?"  
  
Pacifica blinked a few times then went wide eyed, "Wait, you're a demon?"  
  
"People have been known to call me Bill Cipher from time to time. I'm not sure why though. My name is Will Cipher, not William. Anyway, it's nice to meet you," Will held out her hand to Pacifica.  
  
Pacifica reciprocated the gesture, "I'm Pacifica. Pacifica Northwest. And yes, there is something I need your help with."  
  
Will squinted for a minute, "Wait a sec. I think I know you. You're Peacot's daughter, from Gravity Falls, right?"  
  
"P-Peacot? You mean, Preston? You know my father," Pacifica cringed thinking of him.  
  
"Mm-hmm, he tried to make a deal with me a long time ago. I told him no, he'd have to find another demon to do it."  
  
"W-why?"  
  
Will smiled, "Because I could see that you'd grow into a beautiful young woman."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, he wanted to make a deal with me so I would turn you into a boy. What kind of person changes their child's gender without asking? Now that, that's bad parenting," Will nodded to herself as if agreeing with what she just said.  
  
"M-my father tried to … Never mind, that's not important right now. I want to make a deal with you," Pacifica regained her composure. She tried to use a serious tone of voice but it came out more pleading than anything.  
  
Will seemed to tense up and become serious herself, "I don't know, kid. If your family history says anything, I doubt whatever deal you've got cooking I'll be interested in. What is it? Money? Fame? Power?"  
  
"A life," Pacifica blurted out.  
  
"I don't do murder, kid. You'll have to-"  
  
"I want you to save a life. Specifically the life of Dipper Pines," she closed her eyes, almost begging at this point. She didn't hear a response and decided to see if Will was still there. To her relief, she was. Though now she was looking at the floor in thought.  
  
A few moments of silence went by before Will spoke up, "Kid, there's something I've got to tell you. When you ask for something like this, there's a certain penance that needs to be paid. I'm going to need a life to save one."  
  
Pacifica thought about that for a bit. She really didn't expect anything less. She was summoning a demon to make a deal, she expected the price to be high. She was hoping for something a little less than death though. Finally she made a decision. "I want to make a revision to the deal," she said, grabbing Will by the hands. Will just nodded. "I'd like you to save Dipper Pines, healing him of all injuries and protect him and his sister for the rest of their natural lives."  
  
Will smiled, "That's pretty fine word-crafting. I think I've seen veteran lawyers who'd cower from you. I accept your terms. You know the cost. Do you still wish to continue?" Pacifica nodded. Will shook her head, "I need to hear it."  
  
Pacifica thought about Mabel and the rest of her friends before sighing, "I wish to continue with our deal."  
  
Will grinned, "Okay then." Blue flames started dancing on Will's lips.  
  
Pacifica grew weary, "What's that? Why's your mouth on fire?"  
  
"It's part of the ritual. Have to seal the deal," Will spoke, eyebrows bouncing up and down.  
  
Pacifica gulped, "Great, my first and last kiss is with a demon." She closed her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cipherfall has been achieved. I told you this Bill wasn't going to be normal ... well, no Bill is normal but that's beside the point. I've tried to stay in character for most of the others, using time and experience to allow for what changes I've made. Bill is completely out of character. I've always wanted to see a nice version of Bill but one that maintains some of the traits, like sarcasm and nicknaming. Throw that into a concoction and I give you Will Cipher.
> 
> For those who don't know, Bill is a shorthand name for William. You might have caught that from some of Will's monologue. Apparently, somewhere along the line, Will must have turned into William and then into Bill. That's my explanation and I'm sticking to it. I know that there already is a 'Will Cipher' in the fandom but that is the reverse Gravity Falls character, I think he's blue. I'm not really a fan of that version. I like Bill's sarcasm, witty banter, and the famous pain is hilarious bit. That's why I tagged Bill instead.
> 
> Anyway, I appreciate the support you all are giving me. It means the world to know people are gaining pleasure out of something I created. I wanted to show you all my appreciation by making a quick update this time. This one almost hit 3500 words! The feels are real, guys. The feels are real.
> 
> So, be sure to comment down below and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Again, feedback is important to me. It's also a great way for you to get to know me or ask me questions. I'd really like to hear what you all think so be sure to let me know.
> 
> More to come,  
> -sthgiN


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